First artistrealease for NBF 2025!

"Earlybird festival passes have already been posted, and have taken off at super speed. It is clear that many people are already looking forward to it. Here, it is important to keep up if you are to be able to secure the most affordable tickets," says general manager Halvor Sælebakke of the Notodden Blues Festival.

"We are super ready to follow up this year's success, and are happy to now be able to release the first round of artists. With JJ Gray & Mofro, TNT, D.K. Harrell, John Primer & Bob Corritore Allstars, Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience and Super Chikan & The Fighting Cocks, we are well underway with a varied and good lineup for Notodden Blues Festival 2025. We are looking forward to it," says the festival's artistic director, Jostein Forsberg. 
"Many were genuinely upset when JJ Gray & Mofro and TNT had to cancel in 2024 for various reasons. It is therefore nice to be able to announce their arrival next summer. JJ Gray & Mofro rarely visit our latitudes, so this will be a long-awaited Norwegian concert for many. The same applies to TNT, who will have the honor of ending the festival's traditional rock Friday," says Jostein Forsberg.

The festival's general manager, Halvor Sælebakke, expresses his enthusiasm for the booking of Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience. "I've been to a concert with them before, and it was a great experience. There is incredible life in this band. I am certain that they will be an inner tier of an experience for the audience at Notodden. It's been quite a while since there's been real Louisiana zydeco music at the festival. I promise this will be a party and fun for everyone," says Sælebakke.

The loyal blues audience can enjoy real blues from both Chicago and Mississippi. Chicago legend John Primer (guitar, vocals) comes with a band assembled by Bob Corritore on harmonica, another legend, Bob Stroger (93), on bass, Anthony Geraci (piano), Wes Starr (drums) and Jimi "Primetime » Smith on guitar and vocals. This is a band put together especially for Notodden. Both John Primer and Bob Stroger are known from the Muddy Waters Blues Band. It doesn't get deeper Chicago blues than this.

No Notodden Blues Festival without blues from Mississippi. From Notodden's friendly town, Clarksdale, Mississippi, comes James "Super Chikan" Johnson and his fellow female musicians in The Fighting Cocks. Super Chikan is one of Mississippi's most colorful and genuine blues musicians. He visited Notodden for the first time in 1998, and has been back several times. Super Chikan is always a popular feature at the festival, and is currently topical with the documentary film "A Blues Life". "If we're lucky, we might also be able to show this film in connection with the festival in the summer. In any case, this is a good and varied first release that we are happy to be able to launch," says Jostein Forsberg who, together with all the others in NBF, is ready for the new blues festival at Notodden on 31 July - 3 August 2025.